In which I ramble about random bits of headcanon that make no sense

A somewhat-jumbled collection of weirdball ideas that make no cosmic sense, I have here. Various things that I think, or assume, or imagine about Equestria, and why.

The Equinox Conclave
Long ago, before Discord but after the Sisters took over, they would, on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, gather a select group of the strongest unicorns in Equestria and have them raise and lower the sun and moon for the day, in order to make sure that, should the worst happen, someone would still be able to do it. They fell out of that habit after Discord was defeated, and after Luna was banished, Celestia could barely bear thinking about it. But now, with Luna returned, two new princesses ascended and one born, and with threats to Equestria mounting (including two that did take the Royal Sisters temporarily out of the picture, and more that could have), the ancient practice has been reinstated.

The Closing of the Summer Sun Celebration and the Winter Moon Festival
Shortly after the Equinox Conclave was reconvened for the first time in millennia, Applejack approached Princess Celestia to ask why the other two princesses didn't also know how to raise the sun and moon. A straightforward question, with a straightforward answer - Twilight had done it at least once, and so had Cadance - but that wasn't quite the end of it. With the birth of Flurry Heart it became clear there probably wouldn't be just four alicorns in Equestria anymore. So, a new ritual was added to the calendar: the night of the Summer Sun, and the morning after the Winter Moon, two of the other princesses would be chosen to lower the sun and raise the moon (or vice-versa).

Twilight and Immortality
I know, I know, much debated. My headcanon until they demonstrate otherwise is that, when Celestia ascended Cadance, she infused her with a piece of her soul, and there it stayed. Souls grow back, of course, Dresden Files-style. So, Cadance is immortal, or at least mostly so in the same way as the Royal Sisters. Twilight wasn't, initially, but when the other three gave up their power, xyzzy, Twilight ended up just as cosmically interwoven as the Royal Sisters, and if that hadn't done it, getting rainbow-powered would have. The rainbow power surge made the rest of the Mane Six immortal or within delta of it, too. They were already paragons in various ways, so it's no great surprise: get rainbow power, and ding 21, and ding, divine rank 0. The alicorns are probably higher up the angelic-powers chart, but they're all in at least the minor angelic-power tier, now. Spike isn't, strictly speaking, but he's a dragon. They live for aeons. They are mortal, but only just. Nobody really knows how long a dragon can live.

Shining Armor isn't supercharged, though he's probably absorbed more than a bit of oomph from being exposed to the Crystal Flash twice - he'll live for a mighty long time by normal pony standards, if he doesn't ascend first (which seems semi-probable at this point.) For that matter, that Crystal Flash probably did really good things to the citizens of the Crystal Empire: I doubt they have much illness or infant mortality up there anymore. The tradeoff is living out on the raggedy edge, probably the first place any spooky new menace is gonna hit. (Y'know, assuming it isn't there already...)

Headdonut regarding weird toys

Sterling is Cadance's second daughter, and Gold Lily is Celestia's daughter. Just guessing here. Best I can come up with. As I said, donut.